Magazine safety device for automatic pistols



3 ,3,06 9. 1927. G- H TANSLEY MAGAZINE SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC PISTOLS Filed Aug 5, 1926 Fig! 2 I N VEN TOR.

59011179 f7. Tans/ BY I 7 ATTORNEY.

GEORGE E. TANSLEY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO COLTB PATENT FIRE ARES s PORA'IIOI; OF GONNECTIOUT.

ACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A COE- cn sarn'rrnnvrcn ron AUTOTIC meson s Application filed August a, 1926. Serial m. maize.

The invention relates particularly to a safety device of the type which renders the firing mechanism of the pistol inoperative when the magazine is withdrawn or partly withdrawn from its normal osition. It is well known that the user 0 an automatic istol frequently assumes that the withawal of themagazine necessarily leaves the pistol in inoperative condition and that 19 the trigger may then be safely pulled without danger of discharge. As a matter of fact, however, one cartridge may remain in the firin chamber even after the magazine is with rawn and this common erroneous w assumption on the part of the users constitutes a serious source of danger in connection with automatic pistols.

Many difierent devices and mechanisms have been proposed and used for eliminat- 95 ing this source of danger, these prior devices and mechanisms making use of a number of difierent princi les, some of them looking certain parts 0 the firing mechanism and others breaking the train of connection between the trigger and other parts of the firing mechanism. By the present invention I have provided a safety device of the class described which involves breaking the connection between the trigger and the sear when 39 the ma zine is withdrawn, and with the result is at the sear is not moved when the trigger is pulled.

The ob'ect of the invention is to rovide a safety evice of the class describe which is very simple in construction and reliable in operation, which will operate satisfactorily notwithstanding minor variations in the size and she e of the magazine, and which may be readily combined with other safety features. Further objects of the invention will be ap arent from the following specification and c aims.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown the embodiment of the invention which is now deemed preferable, but it will be understood that variations in construction may be made within the scope of the appended blaims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Of the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of-an automatic pistol embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary combined side and y longitudinal sectlonal View of the pistol, the

hammer being shown in cocked position and Elie magazine being shown in its normal posi- Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 except that it shows the. magazine partly with drawn.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view with the parts 1n the same positon as in Fig. 2.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views vshowing the trigger bar, the scar and the actuating slide respectively.

The plstol' shown in the drawing is similar to that shown in the Browning Patent, No. 1,276,716, dated August 27, 1918, and reference is made to that patent for a full dis closure 9f the details of construction.

'The p1sto1 comprises a frame 1, having a magazine chamber 2 in the 'ip portion, thereof, a barrel 3, a breech bfdck i longitudmally movable on the frame 1, a hammer 5 adapted to engage a firing pin 6, a sear 7 7 adapted to hold the hammer in cocked positlon, and a trigger 8 connected with a trigger bar 9 for moving the sear to release the hammer. A magazine 10 of any usual or preferred form is normally located in the 30 chamber 2, being held in place by a manually releasable latch 11. By releasing the latch themagazine can be removed for reloading.

The sear 7 is ivotally mounted in the 35 frame by means 0 a pivot pin 12. The t ger bar!) is located in a recess at the 1bit side of the frame and is pivoted at its for,- ward end to the upper portion of the trigger 8. A spl-in bar 9 upward a cut its forward pivotal connection. The trig er bar 9 carries at its rear end a transversey extending lug 14 and, with the tri ger bar in its uppermost osition, this lug is so located that it will engage the sear when the trigger is pulled and the trigger is moved forward. However, if the trigger bar 9 is moved down- 18 tends to move the trigger 9 ward in opposition to the spring 13 the lug 14 will be brought opposite a notch 15 1n the sear, with the result that the sear is not moved when the trigger is ulled.

As shown in Fig. 4 the reech block 4 is provided with a recess 16 into which an enlargement 17 on the trig er bar may project when the said breech b ock slide is 1n 1ts' dered inoperative except when the breech block is in its normal position.

In accordance with the invention I make use of the vertically movable trigger bar for also rendering the firing mechanism inoperative when the magazine is withdrawn or partly withdrawn. To this end I I provide a longitudinally movable slide 18 which is suitably guided in the frame. As shown the slide has two main portions 18 and 18" which areoffset from each other, the portion 18" fitting a central slot in the upper part of the frame and the portion 18 being located at the side of the chamber in the frame which contains the hammer. A spring is provided for pressing'the slide in the forward direction and as shown there is a coil spring 19 located in a groove at the side of the portion 18 and abutting against a pin 20 carried by the side wall of the frame. A transverse pin 21 carried by the frame extends through a slot'22 in the portion 18' of the slide and serves to limit the sliding movement.

The forward end of the slide 18 is nor- ,mally engaged by the magazine 10 when the magazine is in its normal position as shown in Fig. 3. When so engaged by the magazine the slide is held in its rearward position in opposition to the action of the spring 19. When the slide is withdrawn, or partly withdrawn, the slide is pushed forward by the spring into the position shown in Fig. 3. It will be observed that the forward end 18 of the slide 18 is bevelled at 18 so that the slide is easily forced backward when the magazine is again inserted.

The slide 18 is formed with a cam surface at 23 which is positioned to engage the projection H of the trigger bar when the slide is moved forward by the spring 19 as already described. The cam surface 23 moves the trigger bar downward so that the projection l4 registers with the notch 15 in the sear, and in this way the firing mechanism is rendered inoperative.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that whenever the magazine is withdrawn or partly withdrawn. the slide 18 will be moved by the spring 19 to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus moving the trigger bar downward to its inoperative position. With the trigger bar in this position the trigger may be pulled without moving the sear and it is thus impossible to fire the pistol. It will also be observed that the slide 18 does not in any way interfere with the movement of the trigger bar downward to its inoperative position by means of the breech block 4. The slide 18 engages the rear surface of the magazine with the result that the slide is held in its proper position by the magazine notwithstanding any minor defects or variations in the length of the magazine or in the shape of the upper rear corner thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic pistol having a frame provided with a magazine chamber in the grip portion thereof, a removable magazine in the chamber. a breech block longitudinally movable on the frame, a pivoted hammer, a scar, a trigger, and a trigger bar located at one side of the frame and provided at the rear end with ,a transverse inward extending projection adapted to engage the sear, the rear end of the said trigger bar with the projection being normally held in an upper operative position in which the projection is adapted to engage the sear and being movable by the slide to a lower inoperative position in which the projection cannot engage the sear, the combination withthe aforesaid parts of a longitudinally movable actuating slide located in a recess in the top of the frame and adjacent the rear of the magazine chamber and normally held in a rearward position by reason of engagement with the magazine, a spring for moving the said slide forward so as to project into the magazine chamber when the magazine is removed, and a cam surface on the actuating slide'for engaging the rear end of the said bar to move it to the said inoperative position when the slide is moved forward by the spring.

2. In an automatic pistol having a frame provided with a magazine chamber in the grip portion thereof, a rem ovable magazine in the chamber, a breech block longitudinally movable on the frame, a pivoted hammer at the rear of the magazine chamher, a sear, a trigger, and a trigger bar located at one side of the frame and provided at the rear end with a transverse inward extending projection adapted to engage the sear, the rear end of the said trigger bar with the projection being normally held in an upper operative position in which the projection is adapted to engage the sear and being movable by the slide to a lower inoperative position in which the projection cannot engage the sear, the combination with the aforesaid parts of a longitudinally into the magazine chamber whenthe maga- 10 zine is removed, and a cam surface on the off-set portion of the actuating slide for engaging the rear end of the said bar to move it to the said inoperative position when the slide is moved forward by the 15 spring.

GEORGE E. TANSLEY. 

